Catherine Kimball named Chief Justice of Louisiana Supreme Court

February 2009

Justice Catherine “Kitty” Kimball recently became the chief justice of the high court in Louisiana. Kimball became the first female justice of the state Supreme Court in 1992.

Justice Kimball is a member of the Juvenile Justice Implementation Commission, a group created to implement reform initiatives of Louisiana’s juvenile justice system. She indicated she intends to remain involved in juvenile justice reform, despite increased responsibility at the court.

“We’ve implemented a number of reforms in the state, but we have a long way to go. The Commission is still working to revamp secure facilities for juvenile offenders and to move toward an effective system for treating our youth,” Kimball said.

“We are very pleased with Justice Kimball’s ongoing commitment to the continuing reform of the juvenile justice system of the state,” said Dr. Debra DePrato, project director of Louisiana Models for Change. “She has long been a friend to Models for Change initiatives, and we look forward to continuing to work with her.”